ESA’s Transportation group has been particularly successful in developing a strong backlog of projects and securing opportunities within the Southern California region. This success allows a platform for additional advancement and increases our need for strong project management, environmental analysis, and compliance roles within the region. The group is supported by the region’s 130+ staff, including environmental specialists and scientists (biological resources, cultural resources, air quality and climate change, noise, etc.).

With the opportunity afforded by the success of the group, ESA is seeking to fill environmental planner/project manager and agency staff augmentation positions in the Los Angeles area with a strong emphasis on servicing ESA’s Southern California transportation clients, which include State, regional, and local agencies and municipalities. The positions would include a range of responsibilities for our public transportation clients including fulfilling agency staff responsibilities sitting within our clients’ Los Angeles agency offices and/or providing environmental consulting support in one of ESA’s Los Angeles area offices. The positions will require candidates to manage transportation projects through the development of high-quality environmental analyses, the provision of contract management support, and effective client interaction.

The primary responsibilities for these positions include:

Leading project management teams and working collaboratively to deliver needed transportation projects that keep people and goods moving, and improve the sustainability of our communities;

Managing the environmental review process for an exciting range of transportation projects including transit, rail, and/or roads and highways;

Providing client and agency support, with the possibility of sitting in a public transportation client’s office to manage the successful completion of projects through the CEQA and NEPA process;

Leading multi-disciplinary teams of technical specialists, and working with design and construction personnel to develop strategies for the successful approval and implementation of transportation projects; and

Providing contract and/or task order management, leading the preparation of competitive proposals, and developing business opportunities.

Ideal candidates will possess strong leadership qualities, exceptional inter-personal and communication skills, effective problem-solving ability, excellent writing and analytical capabilities, and demonstrated experience in effectively developing and managing project budgets and timelines. Experience managing the preparation of CEQA and NEPA environmental documents for surface transportation projects, including road and highway, transit, or other transportation focused projects is required. Candidates must possess knowledge of and have demonstrated experience with transportation related funding and planning mechanisms and the federal and state transportation agency project development process such as (but not limited to) Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Rail Administration, as well as Caltrans Standard Environmental Reference, and/or Caltrans Local Assistance Program. ESA requires exceptional writing and editing capabilities of all our environmental planners and managers. Work products must be accurate, clear, and technically superior. These roles require the initiative, confidence, and tenacity to uphold ESA’s strong work ethic, to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team environment, and in close coordination with ESA’s valued transportation clients. Candidates must have a strong sense of fiduciary responsibility critical to the success of our clients and ESA as an employee-owned firm. Candidates should possess established client relationships and demonstrated success in new business development, ideally with federal, state, regional and/or local transportation agency clients, and transportation engineers. Experience with staff management/supervision and mentoring is preferred.

Qualified candidates will have at least a BA/BS in a related discipline and 10 to 15 years of environmental consulting and/or agency experience. The position will be calibrated to a candidate’s level of experience.

About Environmental Science Associates

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is an environmental science, planning, and design consulting firm committed to the principles of sound science, technical excellence, integrity, and the promotion of outstanding decision making and sustainability. As a 100 percent employee-owned company with offices located in California, Washington, Oregon, and Florida, continuing to meet the needs of our clients as well as the strategic aspirations of our employee-owners requires that we look to add the very best professional talent throughout our practices and offices. Specializing in project planning, environmental analysis and assessment, natural and cultural resources management, environmental restoration and design, and regulatory compliance, ESA’s scientists, historians, planners, designers, and technical specialists provide critical thinking and in-depth analyses to guide successful policy development, project planning, and the creation of enduring multi-objective solutions. Joining ESA means becoming part of a family of environmental professionals for whom every day involves growing your career, learning, creativity, fun, and the satisfaction knowing that you’ve contributed to outsta...nding iconic projects, improved environmental stewardship, and a more sustainable future for our communities and wild places.